Manufacture of paper, paperboard, building boards, roofing and flooring sheets and cloths, and the like



Patented Julie 26, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

enonen rennin-arc; nnomnnay, or farm covn, mun SYDNEY, nnw sou'rn wanna,

ausrmm.

MANUFACTURE OF PAPER, PAPERBOARD, BUILDING BOARDS, ROOFING AND FLOORING SHEETS AND OLOTHS, AND THE LIKE.

Ho Drawing. Application med October 9, 1925, Serial No. 61,591, and in Australia November 5, 18.

According to the present invention certain species of sea weed are treated to produce a glutinous material which is incorporated with fibrous products with or wlthout the addition of ubber in an emulsified'condition, and/or gummy or gelatinous sub- .stances, in the manufacture of paper, paper boards, floor, roof and wall coverings, and products of a similar nature, whether the 10' same be produced by felting as 1n aper making practice or by filling or sur ac ng hessian or like fabrics with pulpy felting or coagulated material.

Only vcertain species of marine growth are usable for this purpose, viz, Mam'ocystis py'r'ifem, N ereocystis ZeutkeanayPelagophycue pow-m, Po'rpbgm Zaccim'ata, Rhodymemla palmatw, and Ulcm Zatisszma; these species for brevity to as kelp, an the term kel is not used in this specification to in icate the larger'range of species of sea weed to which it is usually applied. The claims which follow are accordingly to be read subject to 5 this definition and are to be limited in their interpretation accordingly.

The fibrous stock used is selected according to the nature of the final product re-- quired. Thus, for paper, paper boards, and

other products of a papery nature a fibrous stock such as commonly used by paper makers is selected, but in the manufacture of coarsenproducts, such for instance, as building and lining plates, sheets, tiles, wall cloths and floor cloths, the fibrous stock used may consist more or less of sawdust, leather waste, ute fibre, bark fibres, sugar cane trash fi re, or other vegetable" fibre. There may be associated with a mixture of kelp 40 product and such fibre a proportion of a waxorglue, gelatine, gums, resins or like gummy or gelatinous materials which are used in various known paper making processes, .When rubber is used it is. prepared 5 from coagulated rubber or latex which is ordinarily obtained in trade insheeted or creeped condition or latex in virgin form. The final product constituted of these substances, selected according to the destined use of the manufactured goods, is formed into sheets, slabs, tiles, or boards of the desired shape and dimensions by paper makare hereinafter referred ing processes or by spreading or settling in appropriate moulds under compression or by rolling. Thus, in the case of paper and paper boards the ordinary methods'of the paper or paper board maker would be resorted to, whilst in the case of wall plates, floor plates, tiles, and the like, moulding. under compression would be resorted to, and 00 in the case of floor cloths, roofing cloths, and the like, spreading of the product on a cloth or felt sheet backing and subsequent rolling would be resorted to.- r

The kelp is prepared by first washing it twice or oftenerin fresh water to remove attached sand, crusted salt, and other foreign matter, and it is then brought to a pulpy jelly-like condition by maceration or digestion in water which has been-slightly 7o alkalized. This breaking down of the kelp is promoted by boiling. When the boiling is efi'e'cted' in open vessels it may be continued for a period of 24 hours more or less, but when the boiling is conducted under 7:;

pressure a proportionately reduced time of treatment suflices. In the case of maceration, without boiling, steeping and 'agita-' tion in fresh water, preferably warmed, for

a period of several days is necessary. In

whatever method the breaking down of the kelp is effected, aliquor and a pulpy jelly are produced. If this double product be allowed to stand over a few hours the liquor will beabsorbed into the pulpy jelly and 5 the whole product may then be used, but the pulpy jelly may be used without the li nor, in which case the liquor may be utilized in the maceration or digestion of subsequent quantities of kelp, or may be gsed with rubber to produce a surfacing ope.

The fibre stock is incorporated with the T kelp jelly in abeating machine, but ad'- vantage maybe taken of the boilingopera- '95 tion, when it is used, to effect incor oration of the fibre with the jelly during t e prep-- aration of the jelly. Similarly, advantage may be taken of the agitation of the kelp in the macerationo ration 'to efiect incorporation with. the bre by introducing the fibre into the macerating apparatus so'that an intimate mixing is effected as maceration proceeds.

The rubber is brou ht to a colloidal condi-- tion by means of co oidal clay, such for instance as kaolin. The rubberis first finely shredded and subjected tosoaki and agitation in water until it has swelle very substantially. Then, colloidal clay is introduced into the beating or mixing machine in which this rubber is contained, and the beating continued. The proportion of clay to rubber desirable is about 1 partof clay to 3 parts of rubber calculated as in the dry condition for each of these substances Suflicient wateris used with the clay and the rubber to form a gruel-like'mixture and the beatin is continued for several hours. The cla an water should be thoroughly intermixe to'a thickly putty-like consistency before the rubber is brought into contact with the mixture. The swelling of the rubber continues under this treatment, and its capacity for absorbing water becomes intensified. As the beating proceeds, water is added gradually and ultimately a complete incorporation oi the rubber and the clay is thus efiie'cted, the rubber being emulsified. Water maythen be added to the emulsion and is readily taken up so that the emulsion may be thinned to any desired consistency. The proportion of ru ber to be used with the kelp product and the fibrous stock will vary according to the nature of the final product required. Thus, for instance, for paper and' paper board products, a relatively low proportion of 5 rubber suffices to import into these products certain desirable physical characteristics. A

proportion below 1% produces notable re- A portion 0 cements, casein, stearin,

s'ults, but a hi her percentagemay beused. In the case 0 floor cloths and the like a much. higher proportion of rubber is desirable from 5% to 20% or even a higher proportion. For intermediate products, such as wall boards an intermediate proportion of rubber may be used. 1 For paper products a proportion of rubber to paper stock varying from one-half per cent to five per centv is "usually to be used. In the preparation of the kelpy pulp the addition of a low proglycerine is found advantageous;

it results in au entingthe unctuousness of the ulp and acilitating the spreading and finis ing operations.

There may be added to the kelp-fibre or kelp-fibre rubber magma, appropriate proportions of bodying and surfacing agents, such' as resin, lues, metallic soaps, resin soap, blood, sodium or. potassium silicate, araflin, or other oleaginous substances, an .where colloidal rubber is not used in the manufacture a colloidal clay may also be used as an addi tional ingredient. It is practicable to use large proportions of Portland cement. Keens cement, plaster of Paris, or like cements building boards.

For the manufacture of moulded boxes has been taken from the paper machine, or paper board machine or the ress or rolls m which it was manufactured, 1t may be subjected to calendaring, and is dried and aged I e some tree water s squeezed out. After the product for afew days before being a plied totit's destined uses. When rubber orms an ingredient', there maybe associated with (it a proportion of a vulcanizingagent and the paper or other final product may be sub-' mittedto a cold vulcanizing process as a finishing operation and there may. also be associated with it in thebeating operation a pro ortion of blown linseed oil or other oxi izable oil. Hardening and waterproofing mayalso be efiected by treating the final products with formalin, cuprammonium, or other known reagent operating as a precipitant, and surfacin ma be effected by superficially treating the nal products with a dope iquor consisti of kelp liquor which was reserved in thd ireaking down of the kelp; this li uor bein .mixed with a prortion of ru ber emu sified in the manner escribed or with rubber latex. A limited goods and the nature of the .pul "or fibre which is used. The proportion o kelp calculated in relation to the we1 ht-of the finished product in'the case 0 coarse paper pulp roduets, or, sawdust in the making of ceilin boards, fining toms, and the like may be advantageously between 15% and 30%. For roofing tiles, oil cloth fillings and the like, the proportion of kelpy material ma be increased up to 50% in relation or fibre stock to the weight of thgo-(pul with which it Is associa en the roportion of kelpy material is high, the 1 product is leathery-lik ut has sufficient rigidity for all tactical purposes of use when it is mould .in thin emulsified rubber, rubber latexor dispersed rubber may be used in anyepfi w sheets.

Instead of the formulae and methods which have e physical characteristicsof the prodalso e and semi-flexible sentially What I claim as m invention and desire to secure by Letters atent is a 1. A com osition of matter consisting esa fibrous stock incorporated with a pulpy jelly obtained by macerating or digesting 'prewashed kelp, and containing a proportion of rubber.

face thereof treated by application thereto 2. A composition according to claim 1, containing a proportion of glycerine.

3. A composition of matter consisting'of fibrous stock and paper-makers pulp incorporated with a pulpy jelly obtained by.

macerating or digesting prewashed kelp, and containing a proportion of rubber.

4. A composition according to claim 3, containing a proportion of glycerine. I

5. A composition of matter according to claim 1, containing a limited quantity of' a bodXing and surfacing agent.

6. composition of matter according to claim 1, containing a proportion of glycerinc and a limited, quantity of a bodyingand surfacing agent.

'7. A paper sheet or board formed from a composition consisting of fibrous stock inof liquid obtained by macerating or digisting kelp, added. 7 a

9. A paper sheet or board formed froma compositionconsisting of fibrous stock incorporated with kelp pulp and containing glycerine, having the surface thereof treated to which liquid, rubber has by application thereto of liquid obtained by 'macerating or digesting kelp.

10. A paper sheet or board formed from a composition consisting of fibrous stock incorporated with kelp pulp and containing glycerine having the surface thereof treated by application thereto of liquid obtained by macerating or digesting kelp, to which liquid, rubber has been added.

11. A paper sheet or board formed from a composition consisting of fibrous stock incorporated with kelp pulp and a propor tion of rubber, having the surface thereof treated by application thereto of liquid obtained in macerating or digesting kelp.

12. A paper sheet or board formed from a composition consisting of fibrous stock in of rubber, havin the sur ace thereof treated by application tiiereto of liquid obtained in maceratingor digesting kelp, to which liq uid, rubber has been added.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ozone: FREDERICK niomiir.

corporated with kelp pul and a. proportion 

